You may have spotted that spiral-shaped building while driving downtown, or glimpsed it from a DART train. You may have heard the bells that chime on the hour. But I’m always stunned by the number of people I talk to who have lived in Dallas for years and have never been inside the Chapel of Thanks-Giving that’s the centerpiece for Thanks-Giving Square, a 3-acre, isosceles-triangle-shaped park set smack-dab in the middle of downtown. Whether you’re a longtime Dallasite or a newcomer, a visit there serves as an instant, inspirational de-stressor.

Step into the tree-, fountain- and path-lined space, and you’re immediately transported away from the hustle-bustle of business life into a place of utmost serenity (albeit accompanied by the occasional dog bark) and contemplation. The park, designed by American architect Philip Johnson, was completed in 1976 as an ecumenical place of faith and thanksgiving.

Start your journey at the western point of the private park, and you’re greeted by the soaring Bell Tower and Ring of Thanks. The three bells were cast by the Pacard Foundry of France, collectively weigh 5,000 pounds, and are each shaped in the form of the Liberty Bell. The golden ring, which you can step into — perhaps to pay homage to the Olympic rings so prevalent in our thoughts today — is made of aluminum covered in gold leaf, and measures 14 feet in diameter. If you speak your gratitude or prayers out loud, you’ll hear them echo back. Here you’ll also find the Rockwell Mosaic, crafted by the Orsani Veneziani studios and illustrating “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”

Stroll downward into the park (which is operated by the nonprofit Thanks-Giving Foundation), and you’ll find the Wall of Presidents, with Thanksgiving Day proclamations by Congress and U.S. presidents. Also take time to wander through the Hall of Thanks-Giving, with an exhibit about Thanksgiving from Dallas, Texas, the U.S. and the world, all surrounded by a babbling, circular water feature.

Save your last moments for the breathtaking interior of the chapel, ornamented by the spiraling 58-feet-tall Glory Window, designed by Gabriel Loire of Chartres, France (where there is also a faith space of note, as I recall). The series of 73 panels of colored slab glass — one of the largest horizontally mounted stained-glass pieces in the world — cast gorgeous, ever-shifting shadows on the walls, and chapel caregivers invite and encourage you to lie on the floor for the perfect viewpoint. The colors get brighter as the spiral ascends, exploding into light at the apex.

The window has gained its own measure of fame, having been made into a United Nations stamp in 2000 (the international Year of Thanksgiving) and featured in the 2011 Oscar-nominated film The Tree of Life.

And, of course, the park is the site of what’s traditionally one of very few local performances during Christmas week — the incredibly festive Tuba Christmas, held at lunchtime the Friday before Christmas and attracting 200 or more tuba players to herald the season.

The Hall of Thanks-Giving and Chapel of Thanks-Giving are open daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with the grounds open 24 hours a day, at 1627 Pacific Ave., Dallas. The Bell Tower and Ring of Thanks are at the Akard Street end, with the Chapel of Thanks-Giving at the Ervay Street end. Free for self-guided tours; call ahead for reservations and pricing on guided and group tours. DART: St. Paul or Akard station. Parking available on the street and in surrounding garages. 214-969-1977. thanksgiving.org.

Live local music and food trucks will be at the square Wednesdays and Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. through the end of August, and possibly into fall.

The annual “Expressions” visual arts-essay competition for students in kindergarten through 12th grade, which gives cash prizes to students and their teachers, has this year’s call for entries Sept. 10-Oct. 17. The 2012 theme is “I Am Grateful for Water.” For details, visit the website, email ayancey@thanksgiving.org or call 214-335-4744.

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